‘World Car of the Year’ Audi A3 makes Phl debut

MANILA, Philippines - Sixty-nine “top-level” automotive journalists from 22 countries whittled down a list of 24 vehicles and came to a common conclusion: Audi’s new A3 range deserved the 2014 World Car of the Year plum. Now, the triumphant Audi makes an arrival in the Philippines.

Addressing select members of local motoring media at the German brand’s EDSA Greenhills showroom, Audi Philippines head Benedicto Coyiuto notes that the A3 also earned the nod of the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as a 2014 Top Safety Pick. The local release of the A3 is thus expected to draw buyers on the lookout for a great buy in this price point.

Meanwhile, Audi Philippines sales manager Paolo Brambilla says that the third-generation A3 marks several highlights for the four-ringed carmaker from Ingolstadt. It’s the first time the A3 line comes as a sedan, and the first time for Audi to feature its pop-up center console MMI (multi-media interface) in a smaller sedan.

“It’s a standard even on the A3’s base model,” underscores Brambilla, and points out that the sedan is the biggest the A3 has ever gotten—measuring 4.4 meters, just a shade shorter than even the previous-generation A4 (4.5 meters). Still, the A3 outdoes the A4 in both legroom and headroom. Brambilla also shows the surprisingly spacious 425-liter trunk of the A3 that can accommodate two golf bags.

Briefly pushing the turbo-diesel variant of the new A3 sedan somewhere in Alabang showed a bit of the panache that probably helped the vehicle win the aforementioned international nod. The 2.0-liter turbo-diesel variant hugged curves and stayed taut at speed. Mated to a six-speed, S-tronic dual-clutch auto tranny, the car serves up 150 hp and a torque-y 320 Nm. Audi reports it reaches 100 kph in 8.7 ticks and can hit 220 kph.

In a corporate video, Audi AG design head Wolfgang Egger describes the A3 sedan as “innovative,” and a “very important car.” He opines: “The sports sedan comes back to the streets after 15 years... and (the A3) brings the four-door sedan back in a very fashionable, very attractive variation.”

Egger cites particular design elements in the A3, such as its character line, also called the Tornado Line. The D-pillar, he adds, has been rendered fast and sporty.  The external theme is finished with the widening of the A3’s platform, and aggressively styled front lamp assembly with integrated LED indicator lights. Xenon headlamps are standard, and feature the trademark daytime running light.

Within its cabin, A3’s affairs are kept simple, clean, and elegant. A three-spoke, leather-wrapped steering wheel features multi-function buttons and shift paddles. Both front seats can be adjusted electronically. Rear-seat occupants benefit from generous legroom, and separate air-conditioning vents.

As all Audis, the A3 boasts excellent safety features. Airbags are provided for both front occupants, plus thorax/pelvis bags and a sideguard head airbag system for front and rear passengers.

Occupants are sure to notice something very different. The A3’s front center console is bare, save for two smart-looking circular vents. “This reflects a new paradigm in design for intuitive functions,” continues Egger. Reducing single-function switches has simplified matters vastly, even as the A3 adopts a classy black and aluminum theme within. The effect is elegant minimalism without sacrificing luxury.

Technological accouterments abound, too, such as a voice command system, the aforementioned MMI, a host of driver aids and information—all presented smartly and succinctly sans fanfare. The engine itself features start-stop and energy recovery systems – making it a frugal power plant.

The front-wheel-drive A3 sedan initially arrives in the Philippines via two fuel variants and three flavors. The gasoline-fed 1.8-liter TFSI comes in base “Attraction” and leveled-up “Ambition” variants—both generating 180 hp and 250 Nm, and boasting a top speed of 220 kph while reaching 100 kph in 7.3 ticks. These and the aforementioned TDI iterations will be joined in the future by the more robust S3, featuring quattro capability and two liters of turbocharged muscle good for 280 hp and 380 Nm. Audi maintains the S3 can top 250 kph and reach 100 in 5.3 seconds.

All told, Audi’s Egger declares the A3 to be a “perfect synthesis between sedan and Q.” Indeed, no matter how you spin it, the Audi A3 cuts a figure and image all its own in a stellar stable of As and Qs.

For more information, contact Audi Philippines at 727-0381 or visit its showrooms in Greenhills, Bonifacio Global City, and Alabang.